It is known that the nano-scaled materials exhibit extraordinary electrical, optical, magnetic, chemical and biological properties, which cannot be achieved by micro-scaled or bulk counterparts. The development of nano-scaled materials has been intensively pursued in order to utilize such properties for various technical applications including biomedical and nano-bio applications.
Two-dimensional and three-dimensionally cultured cells are useful not only for liver cell related applications, but for producing a number of other cells in a healthy and accelerated manner. There are needs to supply or implant various types of cells including bone cells, liver cells, kidney cells, blood vessel cells, skin cells, periodontal cells, stem cells, and other human or animal organ cells.
There is a critical need for an artificial liver device that can remove toxins and improve immediate and long-term survival of patients suffering from liver disease. An artificial liver device can be useful as a temporary artificial liver for patients awaiting a liver transplant, and also provide support for post-transplantation patients until the grafted liver functions adequately to sustain the patient. One of the major roadblocks to the development of an effective artificial liver device is the lack of a satisfactory liver cell line that can provide the functions of a liver.
A fast growth and supply of cells especially rare cells, such as stem cell enrichment, can be crucial for many potential therapeutic applications as well as for enhancing the speed of advances in stem cell science and technology. In addition, fast detection and diagnosis of disease cells or possible bio-terror cells (such as epidemic diseases, anthrax or SARS) from a very small or trace quantity of available cells can be accomplished if the cell growth speed can be accelerated.